We know teaching is a tough job, but we also know how important it is. And with so many out-of-pocket costs for supplies and resources, even small savings become crucial. We’ve rounded up a list of discounts that educators can snag with their teacher credentials so they can spend a little less time stressing out over dry-erase markers and a little more time stressing about the kid who learned to swear over the summer.
Are you a parent or a student? You can score on discounts with a valid .edu email address as well. We’ve rounded up student deals right here, many of which are the same as the ones you’ll find here.
Table of Contents
Updated August 2024: We’ve ensured the validity of these offers and added a few new discounts from AT&T, Meijer, and more.
Special offer for Gear readers: Get WIRED for just $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com, full Gear coverage, and subscriber-only newsletters. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.
How to Qualify
Retailers and service providers use various authentication methods to verify whether someone is eligible for faculty discounts. The website Sheer ID verifies teacher status and has a huge list of offers available to teachers. The same is true for ID Me. If you’re a homeschool teacher or a childcare provider, you may still be able to qualify for some of these deals and discounts. Double-check with the listed reward offerer for more information and details.
Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images
The Apple education discount isn’t just for students. Teachers can also get roughly 10 percent off Apple hardware. The company usually sweetens the deals in the fall, offering perks like a free pair of AirPods with the purchase of a MacBook or free Apple gift cards with the purchase of an iPad. In 2024 they have a deal for a $150 gift card plus savings on services like AppleCare+.
Dell offers teachers 10 percent off through Educator Marketplace. The Dell University store also gives various discounts to anyone with an .edu email address.
Sign up for HP education discounts by verifying your .edu email address. HP says eligible shoppers may be able to snag up to 40 percent on select products.
Lenovo switches up its discounts on a regular basis, but students and teachers can typically get around 10 percent off. In the past, Lenova has also offered bonuses, like free Uber vouchers for spending a certain amount. Accounts are free and verified via ID Me.
Microsoft offers up to 10 percent off a variety of products, including Surface devices and accessories. Parents, students, and faculty are eligible.
Samsung’s program is for students, parents, and educators, who can get up to 30 percent off laptops, tablets, phones, and other gadgets. Additional deals include discounted accessories with the purchase of select devices and a variety of sales on bundles.
Classroom and Supply Deals
Happy Planner
Photograph: The Happy Planner
Verify your educator status through ID Me at checkout to receive 15 percent off your Happy Planner order. This company makes our favorite paper planners. Some are even designed especially with teachers in mind.
Educators and school staff can take 20 percent off one qualifying online purchase through August 24. These discounts fluctuate year over year, but there’s usually some sort of special teacher savings event toward the end of summer. You’ll need to join Target Circle (which is free) to redeem the offer.
Show your teacher ID and this coupon to snag 20 percent off your in-store purchase. This promotion expires on September 14.
Educators can always get 15 percent off at Michaels. Aside from picking up the obvious arts and crafts supplies, this could be a good way to get a slight discount on things like baskets, plastic drawers, desk accessories, and decor.
Educators can join this program to guarantee that they’ll always get the lowest possible price at Blick. In-store purchases are matched to online pricing, with shipping and handling costs included. You’ll also get an extra 10 percent off your order total.
Teachers get 15 percent off at Joann. The discount card is valid in-store and online.
You have to jump through a few hoops to get this discount. You’ll need a letter with official letterhead, and purchases have to be made with a check or credit card in the name of your school. But you can save between 10 and 20 percent.
Photograph: DmitriiSimakov/Getty Images
Teachers can get 20 percent off in-store purchases at Books-A-Million by applying for the free Educator’s Discount Program. You’ll also get free shipping on your online orders, and there are extra savings during “educator events” throughout the year. You can apply for the card in-store or online.
Half Price Books gives educators 10 percent off year-round in-store purchases. Note that the discount doesn’t apply to online purchases.
Meijer’s teacher appreciation sale runs through September 7. Show your ID to the customer service desk and you’ll be able to save on school supplies, home office gear, kids’ apparel, and more. There’s a big list of eligible items on this page.
Teachers get a free subscription to Vooks, which are essentially animated educational storybooks with read-along text.
Teachers are eligible to receive a free book valued at $7 or less when they purchase four or more books at ThriftBooks. Eligibility and signup are completed via SheerID.
Sign up for the free Extra Credit program to get 10 percent off your purchases.
Music teachers can get 8 percent cash back through Sheet Music Plus’ rebate program.
The Eduporium Educator Discount Program offers teachers up to 20 percent off. The marketplace has STEM resources, like 3D printers, drones, coding tools, and robotics devices.
The website Teacher Wish Lists allows educators to make a wish list that may be fulfilled by random donors. If there are items you’d like to have but don’t necessarily need, this tool may be a good resource. Get Your Teach On is another popular teacher wish list aggregator.
Free Resources for Teachers
A few websites compile free resources, from worksheets to posters to fonts. Check out Teachers Pay Teachers, Crayola, and Canva for examples.
Software and Service Deals
Babbel
Photograph: Babbel
This is nearly half off the normal cost of a six-month Babbel subscription. Babbel is our favorite language-learning app out of the many we have tried.
Eligible students, parents, and educators get 50 percent off Ableton Live Intro, Standard, or Suite license, or can apply the same percentage off to Live bundled with Push. This software is especially enticing for music creators, though if you’ve been considering uploading some fun projects to SoundCloud, it might be worth your while too. It’s the best DAW for DJs and live performers. You don’t need to be a music major to take advantage of the offer. Check out our guide to learning music online for more tips.
Students and educators can use a valid .edu email address to get free access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Teams. There are free alternatives to Microsoft Office products, but if you insist on writing essays in Word, it’s worth checking this out.
Adobe Creative Cloud includes more than 20 apps, like Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat Pro, Lightroom, and more. You also get 100 GB of cloud storage. It’s usually $55 a month, but students and educators can get it for $20 monthly. After a year, the $20 price raises to $30, but it’s still a good discount if you can’t access needed Adobe apps another way.
Photograph: Apple
Scroll toward the bottom of the page to see this offer. This bundle includes licenses for Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, and more. It’s tailored to video and music creators and costs $200. Considering that Final Cut Pro sells for $300 on its own, this bundle is a worthwhile purchase if you plan on buying any of these software licenses individually.
Prezi offers a slate of tools used to perfect digital presentations. It can be integrated with Zoom and Google Meet, along with other services. Prezi has two educational premium plans for students and educators that cost either $4 or $8 per month (usually $7 or $19 per month, respectively).
Teachers can get up to $25 off select phone plans at Verizon when they verify eligibility through ID Me.
Educators can provide their employee ID to get 25 percent off wireless services through AT&T.
Discounts on Magazine and Newspaper Subscriptions
We’re biased, but a year of print and unlimited digital access to WIRED costs $5 per year for students and educators. Teachers can also save on subscriptions to The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Bloomberg, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and more. If there’s a magazine or newspaper you frequently read, it’s likely that you can get a discount when you subscribe.
